Skip to main content

Showing How Earnest You Are



The expression "putting your money where your mouth is" demonstrates a monetary sincerity to what could be empty words.  In today's competitive market where multiple offers are common, sellers want as much assurance as possible that the buyer is sincere and will close on the sale.

The seller who accepts a contract expects the buyer to follow through but, in most cases, doesn't know the buyer either personally or by reputation.  The earnest money submitted by the buyer with the contract shows their commitment to the terms of the offer.

If the amount is relatively small, the seller could be concerned that the buyer may walk away from the contract if they change their mind before closing.  The lost time could be injurious to a seller who is trying to meet a deadline.

The more earnest money a buyer deposits indicates to the seller a higher level of commitment to the contract.  Except for stated contingencies in the sales contract, if the buyer fails to close on the sale, the earnest money could be forfeited.  Significant earnest money makes the seller feel more secure that the contract will indeed close. 

There certainly are a lot of things that can dictate how much earnest money is appropriate.  Local customs, price of the home and type of mortgage can all help to determine the proper amount.  In some areas, it may be common for it to be one to five percent of the purchase price.  In other areas, it might be a specific amount like $1,000 to $10,000 depending on the sales price.  It really comes down to whatever the buyer and seller agree is the proper amount. 

Another strategy is for the buyer to put up an adequate amount initially prior to inspections or other contingencies, and then, to put up an additional amount when the contingencies have been removed. 

The earnest money demonstrates the buyers' sincerity in making the offer and proceeding according to the agreement so the seller can take their home off the market and start making plans to move and give possession of their home.  A higher-than-normal amount could also help the seller to choose yours in a multiple offer situation.  Ultimately, both parties want to close as anticipated according to the contract and the earnest money helps facilitate that. 

Your agent can explain what is customary for your area and price range.  Many times, a disinterested party, like a title company, will hold the earnest money and the sales contract will provide how to dispose of it should the contract not close.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Make Your Home Offer the Most Appealing

Sales in February 2023 were up 14.5% month over month and still down 22.6% year over year according to the NAR Housing Snapshot.   The median sales price dipped 0.2% to $363,000 and there are 2.6 months supply of homes on the market compared to 1.7 months a year ago. "Inventory levels are still at historic lows, and consequently, multiple offers are returning on a good number of properties." According to Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of REALTORS�. It is still important to have a strategy for potentially competing with other buyers on the house you want to buy.   The plan should include several available provisions and options, so that at the time of drafting the sales offer, you can consider exactly what to include based on the situation. Unless a person is paying cash, you need to be pre-approved by a trusted mortgage professional long before you start looking at homes.   Include the written pre-approval letter along ...

Cash-Out Refinance

With the rapid appreciation that homes have had in the last two years, most homeowners have equity.   A common way to release part of the equity is to cash-out refinance but some homeowners may not be eligible currently. This type of loan replaces the current mortgage by paying it off and an additional amount of cash for the owner.   Generally, lenders will consider a new mortgage up to a total of 80% of the current value. Typically, the rate on a cash-out refinance will be slightly higher than a traditional purchase money mortgage.   As is in any lending situation, the rate depends on the borrower's credit and income.   The best interest rates are available to borrowers with higher credit scores, usually over 740. Loan-to-value can affect the rate a borrower pays also.   A 70% loan-to-value mortgage could be expected to have a lower interest rate than an 80% LTV because there is a larger amount of equity remaining in the property and therefore, less risk ...

Getting Comfortable with the New Normal Mortgage Rates

The biggest shock to homebuyers is the soaring mortgage rates of 2022 that doubled in one year resulting in approximately 15 million mortgage ready buyers displaced from the market due to affordability issues. As of February 23, 2023, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage was at 6.5%.   While that is twice as high as it was on January 6, 2022, it is still lower than the 7.75% average rate since April 2, 1971, according to the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. When rates increase at a rapid pace like this, it takes time for the public to adjust and begin to accept it as the new normal. Prior to the housing bust that led to the Great Recession, the normal for mortgage rates was in the 6% range and existing home sales were over 6.5 million for three years.   From 2007 to 2014, home sales were closer to 5 million with 2008-2011 at just above 4 million annually. From January 17, 2008 to March 5, 2020, mortgage rates averaged 4.32%.   In this 12-year period...